Scared of The Good More Than The Evil
by Gleefulbabe
Summary: "Alright, play your little game with Daniel... But only on one condition..." Emily is torn between the opportunities rekindling her relationship with Daniel would present and her loyalty to Aiden... but maybe there is a compromise? Emily/Aiden some Emily/Daniel
1. Friends or Enemies?

**I was really shocked at how little fanfiction there was about Revenge so I thought instead of complaining, I should do something about it and actually write some myself. This is going to be Emily/Aiden centric with a bit of Emily/Daniel for the most part I expect ( I know, it's bad when I'm the author and I can only expect :P)**

**This story will probably deal with some situations from the show, like in this chapter, but the details probably won't be the exact same. I really, **_**really**_** hope you all enjoy this and let me know what you think! **

_The famous saying tells us to keep our friends close and keep our enemies closer but if our enemies get too close, they may eventually become our friends._

Emily was not at all comfortable with what Victoria had just asked of her. She knew the matriarch would do anything in her power to protect her family, but the blond wasn't sure if she could help her this time. Sure, Emily still felt very protective of Daniel and regretted the way things had ended between the two of them, but making an effort to rekindle their relationship as per the request of his mother was impossible. It had to be. Emily was with Aiden now; her first real love and the person who knew her the best in the whole world and she couldn't lose that just on account of Daniel Grayson.

When Emily walked back into her house, she went straight to the fridge and poured herself a glass of chilled chardonnay. She needed it. She leant on the counter with one hand and took a sip but a noise behind her made the glass fall from her grasp and smash into hundreds of little shards on the counter.

"Wow Ems, something must really be on your mind… either that or your getting sloppy…" Nolan commented with a smirk as she turned around.

"That was my favourite glass," Emily said dryly as she opened the bin and started sweeping the pieces of glass into it, not addressing his comment.

Nolan arched an eyebrow. "So how was the wicked witch of the Hamptons? What did she want to see you for? Not solely a social visit, I assume?"

Emily grimaced. "Of course not. She… She wanted to talk about Daniel…"

The eccentric blond took a seat. "This should be interesting. Came to warn you off him again?"

She shook her head. "The exact opposite actually. She asked me to try to get back together with him."

"What? Does she seriously think he would have you back after you broke his poor delicate heart by cheating on him with Jack?" he mused, a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

Emily frowned. She didn't like to remember that even though the thought invaded her mind more often than she would like. "That's what I thought… apparently though Daniel still has feelings for me," she didn't quite believe it herself.

"And what does Ms Hamptons 2012 have to say about this?" Nolan wondered in reference to Ashley.

She shrugged. "That's over. Somehow, after all that's happened lately, I doubt he'll be taking her feelings into account."

"Wait, does that mean you're seriously considering this? What about 007? I thought things were good between the two of you…"

"They are. They're great. It feels so good to be with someone who actually knows who I am and understands me," Emily admitted, "but I don't want to write Daniel off. He's obviously in way over his head without him even knowing and it would probably help with the overall mission but Aiden… I don't want to hurt him."

Nolan was surprised. "Gee Ems, I never thought you were such a softie."

Emily glared at him. "This is serious Nolan. I don't think I can do it." She knew that she should, that it was a great opportunity but she didn't know if she could take advantage this time.

"Discuss it with loverboy. Maybe he'll want you to do it?"

"Yeah because every boyfriend wants their girlfriend to get back with her ex…" she retorted sharply.

Nolan held up his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying you could do it for the sake of appearances and getting close to the Graysons again. I should probably leave you to it… He'll probably be parachuting in any moment now," he smirked and headed for the door, "Oh by the way, I'll get you a nice new set of wine glasses for your troubles. Ciao," he said before leaving.

That reminded her of the mess she had made upon his arrival and turned around to find that the spilled wine was dripping from the edge of the counter leaving a considerable sized pool of clear liquid on the floor beneath. Sighing, Emily grabbed a cloth and crouched down to clean the mess before it became sticky. While mopping up the liquid, something small and shiny caught her eye from under the press. Thinking it was a stray shard of glass, she picked it up slowly only to find that it was a diamond earring. One of a pair that Daniel had given her as a gift a few months back but she had lost the first night she wore them. Ironically, it was the night that she kissed Jack.

Falling for Daniel had never been her intention. She should have been focused on trying to take down his family but as she got to know him she realised that he wasn't like his parents. Neither was Charlotte. If Daniel hadn't found out about the kiss, they would have probably been married by now. In a way Emily was relieved that he had ended their engament. She was becoming far too attached for the good of her personal mission. The lines became blurred with Daniel and she somehow managed to escape. Now with Aiden, she could finally be herself again and she really loved him, a lot more than she had loved Daniel. He was good for her and she him so she was very reluctant to comply with Victoria's requests.

At first, Emily thought that the matriarch had only used her son as an excuse to get Emily to do her bidding but she soon realised that Victoria had genuine concern for the safety of her eldest. Emily decided that even if she couldn't rekindle her love with her ex, she would stay close to keep an eye on him. She owed it to Daniel after the heartache she put him through.


	2. Opportunity

**Chapter 2- Opportunity**

_Opportunity is defined as a favourable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances, a chance for progress or advancement. What it doesn't say, however, is that there may come a time when we have to make a decision: is the opportunity worth what you're going to lose in return? _

Emily stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. She had decided that a steaming hot shower was what she needed to relax a bit after the day she'd had. Aiden was not yet home so that left her some time to contemplate what she would say to him. All she knew was that he would not be happy with the idea especially when it came from Victoria Grayson. Emily sat down on the bed and began to paint her nails.

"_Ah, Emily, it's so good to see you," Victoria greeted her, "Please have a seat," she gestured towards one of the chairs on the terrace and the blond complied. "Will you have something to drink?"_

_Emily smiled politely, still wary of the Grayson matriarch. "No thank you. I have to say, I was surprised that you asked me here today. I know things have always been… interesting when it comes to our relationship."_

"_Well there comes a time when one has to forgive and forget. Believe it or not, I actually long for the days when you held Daniel's heart, though it seems like a lifetime ago now. You can imagine how relieved I am that he is no longer seeing Ashley. I always had a feeling she was leading my son astray, I'm just glad the truth came out before it was too late," she said with a smile though the last sentence felt like a stab at Emily._

_The blond nodded. "Me too. With all due respect, Victoria, I must confess I am at a loss as to why you wanted to speak to me," Emily admitted. _

_Victoria's expression became grave. "Well I suppose we should really get down to business… I'm very concerned about Daniel."_

_Emily was surprised to say the least. She thought she would be the last person the brunette would want to consult if she feared for her eldest. Their relationship hadn't exactly ended amicably. "Is that so?"_

"_He's just so hell-bent on taking over Grayson Global… I've tried to tell him that it's too soon, that he isn't ready but he won't hear a word I say. Daniel's got it into his head that my intentions are selfish…" For once she actually seemed desperate. Her former daughter-in-law to-be had never seen her so with such a lack of composure. _

"_Victoria, what's going on?" she asked, arching an eyebrow._

_The older woman ignored her question. "I realise now that the two of you might have been too hasty in your break-up. It was just a kiss and one has to admit that Ashley's motives were less than selfless…"_

_Emily frowned. "I'm not sure I understand…"_

"_You were always good for my son and you're exactly what he needs now. He'll listen to you if he knows you still care about him. You can convince him that his crusade is a big mistake. You were engaged; perhaps you owe it to your relationship to give it another chance."_

_She stared at the Grayson in shock. Never would she have thought the day would come when Victoria would be trying to convince her to rekindle her relationship with Daniel. She never trusted her even from the beginning but then again there were few that she did actually trust. "Victoria, I don't know what to say…I still care a great deal about Daniel but I'm in a relationship at the moment…"_

_Victoria scoffed. "Yes, that Aiden Mathis. The very one who has been purring in Daniel's ear? You and my son have history; you two were happy together, surely it wouldn't be so hard to give it another chance? If you did you would be welcomed with open arms back into this family without ever a bad word said about you. You would be very well taken care of…"_

_Emily grimaced slightly. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. As you can imagine I wasn't expecting such a development. It took a lot of work to move on and I've just recently made peace with the whole break-up, I would have to think about it." _

"_Of course. I understand there are…certain things that need to be taken care of. It is not my intention to put you on the spot. I do urge you, however, to strongly consider," Victoria said as she stood._

_The younger woman followed suit. "I intend to."_

Emily sighed as she remembered the exchange. It really was a fantastic opportunity but even so it was not a decision that could be made lightly or by her alone for that matter. She couldn't just tell Aiden she was going to get back together with Daniel just because his mother asked her to. He and Nolan were the only ones she had. Aiden more so because of everything they had gone through together. Sure, Nolan sympathised but Aiden knew exactly how she felt. He knew the loss. Daniel could never replace what they shared. She knew the anger he felt over the loss of his sister and she was the only one who could make it that tiny bit more bearable. Likewise with her.

She was pulled from her reverie by the sound of the front door opening and closing. Emily immediately knew it was Aiden and decided that now would be the time to talk to him. She knew that he wouldn't be happy, that was inevitable, and to be perfectly honest, she almost wanted him to convince her not to do it. She rose from the bed and awaited for his arrival. Aiden smiled when he saw his girlfriend and leaned in to kiss her. After a moment, she pulled away. "We need to talk."

**The next chapter is where my storyline comes in :)**


	3. Compromise

**Big thanks to those who reviewed and added this story to their favourites or alerts! This is an important chapter so I really hope it doesn't disappoint. I had wanted it to be longer but I just thought I would get to the point. The next chapter is longer, I promise! Enjoy **

**Chapter 3- Compromise**

_Compromising is a natural part of life. We can't always get what we want, but we can often come to an agreement to meet half way. Sometimes though the compromise may just be asking too much of us. _

Aiden frowned. "Sounds ominous," he half joked, still with his arms around her neck.

Emily shrugged out of the embrace and went to sit on the bed. She sighed. "I had a meeting with Victoria Grayson today…"

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what did the Ice Queen want?" He had to admit that he was curious but from the way his girlfriend was acting, it didn't end well.

"She wanted to talk to me about Daniel." Emily knew the reaction that would provoke.

Aiden paused for a moment. Of course that was what this was about. "What about Daniel?" he asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice betraying him. The mention of Emily's ex fiancé always made him defensive, though he would never admit it.

"Well, Victoria didn't actually come out and say it but I have a feeling he's in trouble. She said that she was just worried that he was in over his head with the company but the way she talked… she was desperate," Emily concluded.

He frowned. "You think it has something to do with the Initiative?"

She nodded. "That would be my guess. I've never seen her so scared before. I have to admit, it was very unnerving." If she was right and the Initiative had something planned, they would all have their work cut out for them. It was serious. She wouldn't see another family ruined by their games like hers was. Whatever they had planned, she would try her absolute best to stop them.

"Wait, so what exactly did she want from you?" Aiden wondered warily, "I highly doubt she just wanted to have a tete á tete and a cup of tea…"

Emily looked away from his gaze for a moment and sighed before looking him in the eye again. "She wants me to look after Daniel and make sure that he stays out of trouble."

"Well that won't be so hard. You two are friends again and Danny Boy isn't exactly the sharpest key on the piano, should be easy enough to steer him in the right direction. Well, whatever direction suits us. This could be a good chance to actually get somewhere," Aiden mused, unsure as to why his girlfriend was so reserved.

"Because," she began, "she doesn't want me to be his friend… She wants me to get back together with him."

The Englishman was rendered speechless for a moment. Now he could see why Emily was so worked up. "You told her no, right?" he wondered, getting very annoyed. He was damned if he was going to lose the girl he loved to Daniel Grayson so they could have a fake relationship or even worse, she could begin to fall for him again. Aiden knew that she actually developed feelings for him despite her intentions. He wasn't going to let her fall back into all of that.

"I didn't say anything Aiden. She sort of took me off guard to say the least. I wasn't just going to make a decision there on the spot. I needed to think about it and I especially needed to talk to you. I understand you're not happy about it-"

"You can say that again-"

"- But I think we seriously need to consider this. If the Initiative is using Daniel, we might be able to get to them through him. Or through the Graysons. They've always been the end game. The Graysons are nothing compared to this. They took your sister…"

Aiden felt himself getting even angrier. "I know Emily! You don't have to remind me! I am _well _aware of what they've done to both of us. But this is you we're talking about, the only person who's ever known me- the real me- and I love you. You can't just expect me to shake you're hand and let you run back to Daniel!"

Emily stood. "I know but, Aiden, I wouldn't just be running back to Daniel. What we had is over now. At least for me it is. I should have never let myself get so close to him; I won't make that mistake again. We can still be together; we'd just have to keep it a secret."

"That's all well and good but it's not going to be the same for Daniel. He still loves you; I see it every time he looks at you. He's not going to make the mistake of letting you go twice and, frankly, he would be an idiot to do so."

She knew that he was no longer talking about Daniel. Emily kissed him. "I love you Aiden. Nothing's going to change that. We can still be together; I would just be giving the appearance that Daniel and I are together. You'll still be the one I come home to at the end of the day."

Aiden frowned. "And how long until he wants to take the relationship further? How long before you're kissing him too and even worse… I can't lose you Emily, not again."

"I'll tell Daniel I want to take it slow. Hopefully by the time it does get to that stage, we'll have gotten what we wanted. This is important, Aiden. This is what we've worked towards for so long. We can finally avenge my father and your sister," she told him sincerely. She wasn't sure what had changed her mind. It was like all of a sudden she knew that she ought to comply with Victoria's request despite her reservations.

Aiden stepped back for a moment. He needed to properly consider this. His judgement was of course being clouded by his feelings for Emily and he needed to distance himself from that for a minute to properly evaluate the situation. Emily was right; this was one-time opportunity and they couldn't say that another chance like this would come along again. It was once in a lifetime and there was no way they could let it go. They also had no clue what the Initiative was planning and being on the inside with the Graysons could prove to be very rewarding in the grand scheme of things.

He smiled briefly as an idea entered his head. It seemed the perfect solution to him; everyone wins. It was something he never saw himself doing but that didn't matter. "Alright, go ahead and play your little game with Daniel… but only one condition…"

That certainly intrigued Emily. "And that would be?" she wondered arching an eyebrow.

"Marry me."


	4. Decision

**Thank you again for all the alerts and reviews. It really means a lot that you like this story and find it interesting. And I'll admit that getting reviews on this are the highlight of my day! I've also got a new Aimily AU story called Lego House if you want to check that out. In the mean time, I really hope you like this chapter! **

**Chapter 4- Decision**

_We are all forced to make multiple thousands of decisions throughout our lives. Some are menial but others require a lot more thought. It is usually decisions that would bring about big change that we are most reluctant to make. There is no room for indecisiveness. The decision we make will change our lives forever; the question is: is it for better of for worse? _

Emily stared at Aiden in complete and utter shock. That was not at all what she was expecting the condition to be. She almost thought that she heard him wrong. Surely he had not just proposed. "Marry you?" It was a rarity these days that she lacked composure but his question had just stripped her of all her coolness.

He nodded and smiled. Aiden always loved seeing her completely thrown, that's when he knew that she was being genuine, when she was completely real. "That's my condition. Become my wife and you can do whatever you want with Danny Boy, well, within reason of course."

The blond didn't know what to say. She had been taken so completely off guard by her boyfriend's request. When she was a little girl, Emily always pictured her wedding but her father was always there to give her away and the groom was always Jack. With Daniel, she would have married him for the sake of her mission but since she began her training, Emily never even thought of getting married because she really loved someone and she wanted to. Aiden had broken her heart; before that was the closest she'd come. "You're joking…" was the only conclusion she could come to.

Aiden shook his head. "No, I'm not," he said, taking her hand, "We love each other and no-one is ever going to know either of us the way we know each other. We're a perfect match Emily. Why not get married?" It seemed completely logical to him.

Unfortunately, Emily didn't think so. She still thought he was crazy. Not because of the proposal of marriage but because of the timing. It was so out of the blue. When she woke next to Aiden that morning never did she think that by the afternoon he would have proposed. She was worried about what had driven him to make the offer. Emily knew that she got jealous of Daniel frequently despite his best efforts to try and conceal it. "Aiden if you're just doing this because you're worried that I'll fall in love with Daniel-"

"I'm not- well at first I was but now I'm thinking it's a great idea," he informed her, "What do you think? Ready to become an honest woman?"

She grimaced. Emily didn't know how he could be so blasé about something so big. "Who would have thought you were a traditionalist?"

He smiled. "I think it's safe to say that nothing about either of us is traditional."

"If we're married it would only make what I'm doing with Daniel even worse," Emily paused, "And, besides, I don't want to ruin what we have," she informed him, not telling the complete truth.

Aiden scoffed. "Funny, because I always thought that getting married always did the opposite. There's a good possibility that someday, when all this avenging is over, we'll get married. Why not do it now?"

Emily frowned. "That's very presumptuous. You've obviously thought about this before…"

He ignored that question. "Think about it Ems, as a married couple we'd be unstoppable." They would be on the same wavelength and they would be able to look out for one another. He could protect her.

"There's also so much room for heartbreak. All of this could end badly…" That is what she worried the most about. She wasn't opposed to marriage but it had to be under the right circumstances.

"So loving someone isn't enough?" he wondered sarcastically.

She looked away. He was so unaware of how much this was hurting her. It wasn't a question of her loving him because she did, so much sometimes that it even frightened her. "That's not what I meant. This is a dangerous game we're playing… there are no guarantees-"

Aiden flinched, he knew what she was referring to and the thought of it made him feel sick. "It's still going to hurt just as much as it would if we weren't married. If you're going to continue playing it, is it not better to have someone by your side? Someone that can be there for you? Someone that loves you more than life itself? What do you think your father would want?"

Emily ignored that question. Of course her father would want her to settle down and just be happy but she wasn't willing to let go of the vendettas and grudges to live a life that she never even thought she would have. Aiden obviously understood that but she was still wary. "You're making it sound like if I don't say yes you're going to dump me," Emily informed him in a sharp tone.

Aiden looked into her eyes for a moment and then kissed her. "I'm never leaving Emily. That's why I'm doing this. If I felt like I could leave whenever I want I wouldn't be asking you this. It's because I can't-"

"You sure didn't feel like that when you left me the last time," she retorted bitterly.

A sad look appeared on his face. He always cringed when he remembered that night. Aiden knew that it was a factor in her becoming so cold and he hated himself for it. "Listen to me," she said earnestly, pulling her face closer to his, "We've talked about this; I will _never _leave you again like the way I did that night. That was all Takeda's doing, not mine."

Tears began to brim in her eyes. "Don't give me that; you could have stayed. You could have gone against what he said for once. I loved- love- you Aiden, do you understand how hard it was for me to hear you had left?"

He could hear the hurt and betrayal in her voice and it almost killed him. Seeing Emily upset was one of the most painful things that could ever happen to him, second only to losing his sister. "I love you too Emily. I know I should have waited and, believe me, there isn't a day that goes by without me regretting not doing so. The thing about me is I learn from my mistakes and that night I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life," he told her sincerely, "I swear it will never happen again. If you marry me Emily, I will never hurt you again."

"That's a big promise," Emily replied quietly, "How can you be so sure that you're going to be able to keep it?" She doubted it very much herself. Try as he may, there's no way he could be sure of it. The lives they lived meant that nothing was certain, things could change at any moment.

Aiden kissed her again. He knew it would take a lot for her to believe him and he didn't blame her. Emily had been hurt too many times in her life; it took a lot for her to open up to someone and when he actually did, she lived in fear of being hurt or losing them, sometimes both. He knew her so well and that's why he was doing all this. Takeda didn't send him, he had requested it. He wanted to help Emily in any way he could. He wanted to make up for what he did all those years ago. "I'm going to try my absolute best, I can promise you that. I know it's hard for you to believe but I swear Emily, I will do everything I can. What do you say?"

The blond pulled away swiftly. "I need time to think," she said quietly and Aiden seemed to get the picture. He left without saying another word. Surprisingly, when he was gone Emily felt angry, angry at him for putting her in that position. Part of her wanted to say yes and the other wanted her to say no as quickly as she could. Sure, she wanted to say no because she thought it would interfere with both their missions but more so because she couldn't stand the thought of losing her husband. It would be just like losing her father all over again and she wasn't sure she could endure the pain this time. Emily had barely gotten through it the first time; doing it a second would be almost completely impossible.

On the other hand, she wanted to say yes. She loved Aiden more than anything and nothing would make her happier than becoming his wife. He was so good to her and in his arms she felt safer than she ever had since her father was taken away. Somehow all her problems and goals seemed so far away whenever they were close but she would always live in fear of him leaving again. They would also have to keep their marriage a secret. If someone found out it could ruin the whole mission and she would never be able to forgive herself if those responsible for ruining hers and her father's lives went unpunished.

Tears of anger began to stream down her cheeks. She tried so hard every day to keep her emotions at bay, to make sure they don't interfere with her goal but with Aiden she hadn't the control she would like. He did something to her that she just couldn't explain and she partially hated him for the same reason she loved him. Emily didn't like that someone could have such an influence over her and yet he did.

She sat there on the bed in which they had made love countless times with her knees pulled tightly to her chest. Emily didn't know how long she had spent there trying to wrap her head around everything but finally she knew what she had to do. Emily grabbed her clothes and began getting dressed. She pulled on the garments in annoyance. As soon as she was ready, she went to Aiden knowing immediately where she would find him. The sun was just about to set and it was only when she saw that that Emily actually had some comprehension of how long it had been since he had left her in her room- their room. Sure enough, as she walked out the front door she could see him sitting on the sand just out of the way of the incoming tide.

Emily made her way over to him with determination. He obviously heard her coming as he stood up and turned around to face her. "Have you made your decision?" Aiden barely managed to get out before Emily slapped him across the face with all the force she could manage.

"Yes. I have," she replied in a less than warm tone.


	5. Information

**Thank you for all the response to the last chapter! It really means a lot to me. I know some of you are divided about what Emily's decision should be and I hope there is not too much disappointment. This chapter is a bit of a favourite of mine. As always, let me know what you think! **

**Chapter 5- Information**

"So nice of you to grace us with you presence again," Nolan sarcastically commented as came in the front door of Emily's house, "You kind of just disappeared for two days and didn't even answer any of my calls or texts." He was more than a little put out by her sudden absence. Nolan worried about her on a daily basis but that was put into overdrive when she was suddenly gone without a word of warning. He was certain the Initiative had gotten to her, especially when Remington Steele was nowhere to be found either. "Do you know how worried I was-"

Nolan stopped when Aiden made his way into the kitchen and kissed Emily's cheek. "Morning," he greeted the two blonds, "Did you tell him?" the Englishman asked his girlfriend.

"No, not yet," Emily replied.

He was way past annoyed. "Will someone just tell me what is going on?" Nolan hated being the last to know anything.

Aiden and Emily exchanged a knowing look both with a hint of a smile on their face. "You talk to him, I'm going to take a shower," he commented and gave her another kiss before heading for the stairs.

"Where were you?" the founder of Nolcorp demanded, "The last time I saw you you told me about your rendezvous with the Sea Witch and you were so out of it and then you were just gone."

Emily remained unphased. "I'm sorry I scared you but you had no reason to worry. Aiden and I just went to Connecticut for a few days."

Nolan's eyebrows practically disappeared above his hairline. "Connecticut? What, did you two decide you needed a bit of a romantic getaway before you tricked Daniel into believing he had a shot? What's so special about Connecticut? Seriously Ems, if you wanted to borrow my jet you could have just asked. I wouldn't have minded. Paris is lovely this time of year. Although I doubt it could compare to the chateaux of _Connecticut_."

She grimaced although she was partly amused by Nolan's dramatics as always. "It wasn't a matter of location so much as convenience…"

"_I take it that's a 'no'," Aiden concluded, rubbing his cheek that now stung. She had a lot more strength than she gave him credit for, though he probably should have realised that when she knocked him out with that bottle of wine…_

_Instead of answering Emily kissed him passionately. He was very confused but went with it anyway. After a moment, however, his curiosity got the better of him and he pulled away. "Okay all bets are off, do you just want to _tell _me what you're thinking because you're giving me ambivalent signals at the moment…" _

_Emily nodded. "That's a 'yes'."_

"_Sure doesn't feel like it," Aiden joked rubbing his face again._

"_You deserved it for springing that on me out of the blue," she argued, "but, yes- albeit against my better judgment- I will marry you Aiden."_

_Aiden beamed at his girlfriend and lifted her legs up around his hips before kissing her again. "Thank you. I promise you won't regret it Emily."_

"You married Aiden?!" said a completely astonished Nolan after Emily finished recounting the tale to him. He knew it would be a perfect opportunity to make a smart comment but he was far too shocked to do so. "Amanda, are you absolutely crazy?"

Emily knew he was serious if he used her real name. "I told Aiden about what Victoria asked of me and we argued and then he asked me and I said yes. I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't sure Nolan."

The eccentric billionaire shook his head. "I still think you're crazy. Is this because of Jack and Amanda because-"

"This is about no-one besides myself and Aiden. We have a lot of history together and we love each other. I got married because _I _wanted to."

Though Nolan still disapproved he could see that Emily was serious. "I'm hurt Ems; I always thought I would be best man at your wedding…"

She rolled her eyes. "There was no wedding. Seriously Nolan, _no-one _can know that Aiden and I are married. I have to 'get back together' with Daniel. If anyone finds out about this I can kiss any kind of relationship with the Graysons goodbye forever. He won't forgive me twice," Emily warned him seriously. The game was as good as up if that happened.

"Gee Ems, you might want to try taking things seriously for once. Life isn't all fun and games you know," he said sarcastically before changing his tone, "I won't say a word to anyone. Seriously, when have I ever let you down?" Nolan asked rhetorically.

"Never," she answered anyway, "I've never thanked you for everything you've done for me."

The businessman rolled. "Don't get all sentimental on me. We're not in retirement homes yet. Well, I must go. I have a meeting in the office that starts right about," he glanced at his watch, "now, but I saw you were back so I thought I'd check on you and berate you for not informing me of your departure, or your _marriage_ for that matter, so now that I've seen you in the flesh I am satisfied that everything is okay I must love you and leave you. Oh, I almost forgot…" Nolan said before picking up the bag he had deposited on the coffee table upon his entrance and handed it to his friend. "Here, they're the wine glasses I promised you although now I guess you could call them a wedding gift…

"I must have Padma send the newly-weds a bottle of bubbly," he said the last word in an English accent. "Tell me, should I be calling you Emily Mathis from now on?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "You're going to be late Nolan."

He chuckled and made his way to the door. "Tell Mr. Bond I said congratulations."

After he left Emily just shook her head. There was no match for the force of nature that was Nolan Ross.

"Emily? Did I just hear Nolan leave?" Aiden called from the top of the stairs.

She made her way over to her husband. "You sure did."

He smiled coyly. "Care to join me so?"

"Of course."


	6. Illusion

**Sorry that this chapter is a bit on the short side. The last chapter obviously wasn't a favourite with my readers so sorry about that too. I promise that this story is not going to be all cute and cuddly and lovey dovey. There's more of a plot than cute Aimily moments, I'm just not quite there yet. Anyway, here's the next chapter **

**Chapter 6- Illusion **

_People are often deceived by illusions; something that appears in a certain way could just be waiting to catch us out and lead us astray. _

Emily made to get up off the bed but Aiden was having none of it. He pulled her back down into his arms again. "You're not going anywhere," he said playfully, "Now that we're married you can't just have sex with me and leave."

She rolled her eyes, trying to hold back a smile. "I'm not going anywhere, you are," Emily explained while she pulled on her underwear.

Aiden arched an eyebrow. "And where will I be going?"

"To Daniel's office. He'll be going for lunch soon; you need to find out where he's going so we can be there too."

Her husband sighed. "Great, today is break up day. I had almost forgotten." Ever since they had married, Aiden had felt happier than he ever had before and didn't want that to end. He knew it had to, of course, but he also knew things were going to get complicated. The Englishman just had to deal with that, however, because he was fully aware of what the situation would be when he asked Emily to marry him.

The blond understood that he was reluctant to let things move on from the way they had been for the part couple of days. She herself was just as reluctant but this had to be done. They would still be husband and wife at the end of the day. Emily bent down and gave him a kiss. "Don't you think it will be kind of hot though? Every night you get to show me exactly what Daniel can never do…"

"Can't wait," Aiden smiled cheekily and kissed her again.

"Good. Now get moving," she ordered with a smile.

He rolled his eyes and threw the covers off him. Emily had to avert her eyes for fear of not being able to control herself. This did not go unnoticed by Aiden and he laughed quietly to himself. The knowledge that Daniel would never have a relationship like the one he has with Emily made him feel better.

"You're sure he's here?" Emily asked lowly as they made their way through the restaurant and to their table.

Aiden nodded. "Positive. Look," he discreetly gestured towards Daniel and Conrad who were sitting outside not 10 feet away from them. Like a gentleman, he pulled out the chair for his wife and then sat opposite her as the waitress handed them their menus.

They quickly ordered, wanting to waste as little time as possible. "How do you want to play this?" Emily asked after the waitress had left.

"Give it about ten minutes, and then follow my lead."

The blond frowned. "Ten minutes? What if they leave?" The whole thing would be a complete failure if the intended audience left before they had a chance to put on the show.

"They won't. Daniel told his secretary that he would be gone for an hour. Their food hasn't even come yet. Everything is going to be fine."

They talked with expressions that were less than happy on their faces in case Daniel looked over. It wouldn't do to be smiling one minute and having a very public break up the next. Their food came quickly and they ate a bit before Aiden winked at her.

"Emily, would you just listen to me for once?" he asked in an annoyed tone that was far louder than necessary for Daniel's benefit. It wasn't long before the new main man of Grayson Global's eyes were on them.

Emily scoffed. "Like you ever listen to me! What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that you knew _he_," Aiden pointed at Daniel, "was going to be here." He knew that Daniel would be very interested all of a sudden.

She shook her head in disbelief. "You're crazy."

"No, I don't think I am. This whole relationship was always about him wasn't it? You were using me to get to him!"

Aiden was a very convincing actor. Even Emily believed him. "You know what? I don't need to listen to this. If that's what you want to believe, then fine, believe it," she stood up angrily and began walking towards the door that was conveniently next to Daniel and Conrad's table. Aiden began to follow her and she turned around to face him. "Leave me alone Aiden," she said coldly before walking out the door and right past Daniel's table.

The Grayson stood up immediately. "Emily are you okay?" he wondered with too much concern.

"I'm sorry Daniel, I don't feel like talking at the moment," Emily told him bluntly before walking away.

When she was gone, Daniel walked inside to where Aiden was still standing. "What was all that about?" he demanded.

The Englishman scoffed. "What do you think it was all about? Your ex-fiancée just broke up with me," he said bitterly before walking away himself in the direction of the other exit. By the time he got outside, his wife was waiting with the car and he quickly got in.

"Very convincing performance, Mr. Mathis. You even had me going," she congratulated him as she drove away.

He laughed. "Not too bad yourself, Mrs. Mathis," Aiden said with a smile and kissed her cheek.

Emily rolled her eyes at his cheesiness. "He definitely bought it; phase 1 is complete. I'd say Daniel is already thinking about a reunion."

"No doubt about it. He came to interrogate me after you left. Poor guy. You know I feel sorry for him sometimes; he's just a pawn in everyone's games and he doesn't even know it."

Emily frowned. "Daniel's a good guy. He has no reason to suspect everyone wants something more for him."

Aiden shrugged. "Maybe before, now it's just too easy to corrupt Macbeth. He's become paranoid thinking everyone wants to take his crown."

She didn't answer. There was no way Emily wanted lose all his goodness. That was what set him apart from the rest. "Now it's time for phase 2…"

"Oh yes, you have to have to summon the she devil."


	7. Conspiracy

**Since I'm on an updating spree today, this chapter is going up. I actually had the vast majority written already so I don't know it took me so long to sit down and finish it. I guess I'm just very fastidious! And I'm really missing Revenge. That's a big part of my lack of updating. The episodes give me inspiration :P Anyway, hope you like this one. Let me know what you think.**

**Chapter 7- Conspiracy**

_Conspiracy. A plan or agreement formulated, in secret, by two or more persons to commit an unlawful, harmful, or treacherous act._

"Emily," Victoria smiled as she once again greeted her neighbour in the foyer of her home, "It's so lovely to see you again. I trust you gave my suggestion a lot of thought."

Emily gave a brief incline of her head. "I have."

"Excellent. How about you join me for lunch on the terrace?"

The blond smiled politely. "That would be lovely."

The matriarch led the oh-too familiar way and Emily followed closely behind. It was hard to believe that only four days ago she had been summoned to Grayson Manor by Victoria. Now she was married.

The table was elegantly laid out with an assortment of different food. Victoria gestured for Emily to sit and she did so. "Tea?" The hostess asked, lifting the ornately decorated porcelain pot.

"Yes please."

"Once again, I must apologise for putting you in such an unpleasant position," Victoria said while pouring.

Emily shook her head. "Don't apologise. I'm sorry for my giving you an answer being so late. I gave what you said a lot of consideration and I realised that maybe giving my relationship with Daniel another go is the best thing to do. We have unfinished business. Who knows what would have happened if we hadn't ended our engagement over a stupid kiss?" She wasn't stupid; even though Daniel's mother was skilled in the art of acting, the blond could still see the disdain in her face.

"Indeed," Victoria replied with a false smile. "There is nothing worse than unfinished business with a loved one."

She smiled. "I couldn't agree more." It wasn't Daniel Emily was referring to and she knew it wasn't Conrad in Victoria's case.

"Conrad told me about your break up with Aiden in the restaurant. I hope he wasn't too upset."

Emily feigned sympathy. "I wasn't even fully sure that I was going to take your advice but Aiden made up my mind for me. He was suspicious of my lingering feelings for Daniel. I hated hurting him but I had no other choice. I just hope it won't be too awkward with him and Aiden working together…"

"Time can only tell. But I'm sure my son will."

"Thank you so much for the lovely lunch Victoria," Emily said with a smile as they made their way to the front door.

The brunette waved it off. "Please, I'm quite certain that soon enough you'll be part of the family again."

As they entered the foyer, one of the maids led a man and a woman dressed in smart clothes into the house, Emily immediately recognised them. The timing was impeccable.

"Judge Barnes! Patricia! How nice to see you!" Victoria greeted them both.

"Victoria, thank you so much for welcoming us into your home," Patricia Barnes said gratefully.

"It is my pleasure. You know you're always welcome here." Emily observed the exchange with curiosity. Victoria glanced at her. "Please allow me to introduce Emily Thorne. She owns the beach house next door and is a good family friend."

Emily shook both their hands which made her cringe. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with her best fake smile.

"Unfortunately, Emily was just leaving but perhaps we could convince her to join us for dinner tonight?" she asked the young blond.

She frowned. "I would hate to impose."

Victoria waved it off. "Nonsense, I insist! We would love to have your company. Will we see you at seven?"

Emily nodded. "That would be lovely. Thank you so much for you hospitality Victoria, I'll see you tonight. Nice to meet you," she said before heading for the door. She couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. Exposing Judge Barnes was another step on her long road to revenge.

Outside the door Emily nearly ran into Charlotte. "I'm sorry," she apologised.

"No, it was my fault. I was texting and walking. What are you doing here?" the sweet young girl asked.

"I was having lunch with your mother. She actually invited me to dinner tonight. I assume I will see you there?"

Charlotte frowned and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm spending the night at Declan's. We're looking after baby Carl."

Emily smiled. "That's a shame. We'll have to catch up some other time. Say hi to the Porters for me."

"I will," the youngest Grayson gave her a hug before they went their separate ways. Emily always felt something when she hugged her half-sister. She always wondered if Charlotte felt it too. Maybe one day she would find out. She really hoped she would.

_I'm going to get her back. _That was Daniel's first thought the minute Aiden had informed his of his and Emily's break-up. He had never been so adamant about anything in his whole life. She was what he wanted- correction: needed- and come hell or high water, Daniel was going to win her back.

He headed back to the office with a smirk on his face and a spring in his step after lunch with his father. For a moment he wondered if, instead, he should go and find Emily to see if she was okay but she probably needed to be alone. As much as Daniel thought that Mathis was an idiot for letting her go, he was glad he did. He and Emily had unfinished business. They should have never called off their engagement. They should have worked through the Jack problems . He and Emily could have been happy; now they would be.

When Daniel returned home in the late afternoon, he was met by his mother. "Ah, Daniel. There you are. I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't be home in time for dinner with Judge Barnes and his wife."

He frowned. Their visit had completely slipped his mind. The Grayson heir had planned on visiting Emily that night and wasn't going to be stopped by his parents' pathological need for power. "Sorry, I have plans," he replied with a smirk and continued in the direction of the pool house.

"Did I mention that Emily Thorne is coming?" That one question stopped him in his tracks. "Yes, I thought that would convince you. Dinner is at seven."

"It's the perfect opportunity, Aiden," Emily informed her husband after recounting the details of her trip to see Victoria. "The timing couldn't have been better. Hopefully tonight I can suss out their weakness and expose them at the fundraiser tomorrow."

It sometimes surprised even him that she could be so cavalier about all this revenge. "Are you sure that it was James Palmer who wrote the letter?" he asked, gently playing with the wedding band that now hung from a chain around his wife's neck.

"It had to be; he died for it." Aiden decided to trust her judgement. "Daniel is going to be at this dinner," it was meant to sound like a question but came out as a statement. It was ridiculous that he was feeling insecure; he was the one _married_ to Emily afterall.

She put down the letter before taking his hand and pressing it to her lips. "Yes, if Victoria has anything to do with it. But look at it this way: yes, I'm going to the Graysons but by ten o'clock I'll be back here with you, my husband." _Husband. _She found herself randomly saying the word a lot. It still felt strange to think that that was what Aiden was to her now.

The Englishman took comfort in her words. All the worrying was illogical but he couldn't help it. Aiden knew that if he was in Daniel's shoes he would never let Emily go again. Actually, he _had _been in his position and now they were married. And one could only legally be married to one person. At least the line was drawn there. "I know, it's just harder to let you go to him than I thought it would be."

Emily cupped his face. "No amount of time spent with Daniel could ever match what we have or our history. I am now and always will be Emily Mathis, even if not on paper."

Aiden kissed with force for a moment before withdrawing and resting his forehead against hers. "You better get changed."


End file.
